Chapter thirty five,

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So many dead. He had been so wrapped up in his own problems he hadn't given a thought to what was happening around him. Both Fiona and Sam had tried to tell him, but he had refused to listen. He remembered how pigheaded he'd been about it, how he had dismissed their advice and then when Fiona had been about to break through his resolve, he had lied to her face.

"Collateral damage kid, these things happen. Some people live, some people die. It's the way of the world. You've just got to make sure you're one of the ones who live. Forget about the rest." Larry's little speech after two of their assets were caught, charged with espionage and later executed. He hadn't realized until now how easily had he slipped back to an old way of thinking.

The photographs Callaghan had handed him bore evidence to the damage he, Larry and Simon had caused. All of them too busy thinking about their own objectives that nothing else mattered. He closed his eyes, letting his head slide back. He really wasn't any different to them.

"You want to know about Solokov?" He asked, bringing his head back up and looking directly at Callaghan.

"It'd be a start." Callaghan let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. His gamble had paid off Westen hadn't completely lost his humanity. He waved over another agent. If Westen was about to spill the beans, it needed to be recorded. "Just give me a minute to set up." He noticed both Sam Axe and Fiona Glenanne had slipped back into the room as well. Callaghan nodded to them, acknowledging their presence. If they stayed in the background and didn't interfere, they could stay.

"So, who or what is Solokov?" Callaghan asked once he was ready.

"Alexei Solokov was a cover name Larry used the first time we worked together. He was my training officer. There was intel that a group of Russian ex special forces were going into the arms dealing business in the Balkans. Our assignment was to find the Russians and their weapons cache and neutralize both. We found the Russians, Larry went in as Solokov a go between for a Serbian group with money for weapons." He paused, looking round the room, realizing Fiona and Sam were sat at the back listening to every word.

"Larry told me he wanted to teach me a lesson. So instead of blowing up the warehouse like we were supposed to, Larry led the Russians up into the foothills. I followed along as his back up. For two days I listened to him fill their heads with stories about this Serbian warlord called Dragamir and what he did to his enemies. Then he left, saying he was going to collect Dragamir and bring him down to complete the gun deal. So I stayed behind and watched over them, making sure they didn't stray while he disappeared." Michael paused again, wondering how much he should tell them. He glanced down, his eyes settling on the photographs. Damn it. He gathered them up and turned them face down.

"When he came back I don't know what he'd done, but he had a whole load of angry Serbs on his tail." As he spoke about what had happened that evening in the foothills of the Balkan mountains, he could remember the excitement he had felt at the time.

Ten foot up a tree, lying flat on a thick sturdy branch invisible to anyone on the ground. He had peered down the barrel of his assault rifle. This was an easy job for him, he had trained as a sniper before being approached by the CIA. As soon as Larry burst into sight, shouting in Russian about an attack. He lined up a shot to come passed Larry and into the camp.

The warning shouts and then the shots brought the highly trained men out and their own weapons to bare. Once one of their number went down, the fire fight truly started. Larry had somehow dodged undercover, while he had stayed safely up his tree. Larry was right, they killed each other and all they had to do was finish off the wounded.

"You can't leave anyone alive kid, it's bad tradecraft. Compassion will slow you down, it leaves you open to revenge and it's a waste of time." Larry had explained to him as they had walked back into the camp together.

Michael finished his tale. "I opened fire from my hiding spot, making the Russians think they were under attack. And that was all that what was necessary. To cut a long story short, the two sides took each other out and we got the guns." Looking from one to the other, his gaze lingered on Fiona a little longer than the rest. He had only ever told her the barest details of his time with Larry.

Sam looked away, it was scary to think about what type of man Michael might have become if his little partnership with Larry hadn't been shut down.

"So what, the two of you took on how many?" Callaghan couldn't help himself.

"In total I think it was about twenty men. But they took out each other, we only had to deal with the survivors. I think that was the rest of Larry's test. He wanted to see if I could kill in cold blood."

It was the first time he took part in what he could only describe as a series of executions. Killing in cold blood, up close and personal. Placing his handgun against the back of a wounded man's head. With Larry standing over him. One shot, he remembered blood had splattered up onto his hand and lower arm. "Well done kid. I'm going to give you a top marks on your assessment. You'll definitely have a place in the field." Had been Larry's cheery show of approval.

"And you, I take it passed with flying colours?" Callaghan asked the question, but Michael couldn't take his eyes off Fiona.

"I got Larry's recommendation to continue on the programme." He admitted. "You wanted to know what you were going to be up against. Larry has been in the business for over thirty years, there is probably no one else quite like him."

"Except you."

"Me?" Michael shook his head giving a short laugh.

"So you think Simon will attack, and only after we've finished trying to kill each other will Larry step in?"

"If I'm right, and he's not just sent that message as a bluff, knowing that I'd tell you his plan." Michael shrugged his shoulders. "That's the thing with Larry. You never know."

"And what about the cause of all this, the NOC list. Where's that been hidden?"

Michael was tired, hadn't he given them enough for now. He felt his friend's eyes on him without looking over to where they sat. One part of him argued that it was his only piece of leverage, but another part reminded him of his promise to Fiona. He was about to speak, but was interrupted.

"Michael. What do you have to think about?" Fiona snapped, shaking Sam's restraining hand off her arm. She got to her feet. She shot a death glare at Callaghan, daring him to interfere. Before turning all her attention on Michael.

She paced in front of him. "I know you have your issues, god knows we've all heard about how these people ruined your life. And then there was the whole, you were doing it for Jesse. Well guess what? Jesse is back in, and it's not them ruining your life any more. It's you. You're doing it all by yourself."

He went to speak again, but she waved her hand in his face, she was on a roll now. "You have a good life Michael. Or rather you had a good life, maybe not exactly the one you want. But hey, do you think the rest of us enjoy chasing you around. Dropping whatever we're doing at a moments notice."

"Fi I..."

"No Michael, you listen to me. Look at what has happened doing things your way. You're a mess, you nearly died, and your Mother ended up sitting on a bomb."

"What?" The word echoed around the room. "What did you just say?" Michael demanded. He was sat forward, his breath coming in short sharp gasps. She couldn't remember ever having seen such an angry expression on his face before.

"Simon was at Madeline's, he put a bomb under her chair to make us talk." She told him her voice soft, all the anger had gone. She hadn't meant to blurt out that piece of news.

He froze in place, he hadn't been there, it was all his fault. His actions had nearly got his mother killed. Fiona had a hand on either side of his face she stared into his eyes. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to tell you like that. What happened wasn't your fault."

"What happened?" He asked, she could feel the tension building up in his body.

"Simon was looking for you. He threatened Madeline, to make us tell him where you were. But you've seen her, she's safe."

"And why didn't you tell me?" He gripped her wrists, pulling her hands away from his face.

"We thought you were too sick, to be told." He noticed her quick glance at the Doctor who was hovering nearby.

"You know it wasn't your fault?" She wanted to hear him say it.

"That's not what you said a minute ago." He replied. Simon nearly killed his Mother.

"I was angry, I didn't mean it. You can't be responsible for the actions of a mad man. You understand that don't you?" She was becoming more worried, she could feel his hands trembling as they still held on to her wrists. Up close she could hear his increased breaths.

"It's ok Fi, I understand." He muttered, sinking back onto the sofa. He let go of her arms. Simon nearly killed his Mother. It was all he could think about.

Doctor Cohen was now at their side. "He needs to be back in bed. Let's have some help getting him there."

"I'm fine." He shook Cohen's hand away. Simon nearly killed his Mother. He needed a gun.

Sam pushed Cohen out of the way. "I'll help him." He announced, Michael had gone very pale but he still wasn't being particularly helpful. Sam managed to get him up and over to the bed.

Once back in bed Michael stopped telling everyone he was fine and not long after his head hit the pillow he fell asleep. His breathing settled down quickly and his complexion started to return to normal. Doctor Cohen was well aware he was being kept under close scrutiny.

"You have a problem with me?" He asked Sam.

"Mike's my best friend, I'm just a little concerned that's all." Sam took the offered medical records, Cohen held out.

"You'll see there, nothing untoward." He knew Sam had some medical training, he let him glance over the file and then took it back. "Satisfied?"

"Sure Doc, but if it's all the same to you I'll just stay here. I won't disturb him." He gave the Doctor his most sincere expression. "Promise."

"Fine." Cohen replied shortly turning his attention back to his patients notes. Sam settled back in his chair and watched Michael sleep.

…...

Larry sat in his car, the receiver to the bugs planted around the FBI safe house picking up the whole conversation. Michael had done what he hoped he would do, the Feds were now all keyed up for Simon's assault on the property.

Then Michael's little gun runner girlfriend broke the news about the attack on Momma Westen's. He gave a wolfish smile, this was even better than his own plan. If he could get Simon in to the house, Michael would kill him now without hesitation.

With a bit of luck all the death and destruction would completely sever any remaining hope Michael had left of getting out of this affair clean. He switched off the receiver, this part of his plan was going even better than he had hoped for, now he just needed to make sure the rest did the same. Time to check the tracker he put on the property details he'd left for Simon to find.